Pile-driving apparatus



May 15, 1923.

E. H. HOPSON PI LE DRI VING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 15 1919 4 Sheecs-Sheet 1 ill 4 Shets-Sheet 2 E. H. HOPSON FILE DRIVING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 15,

May 15, 1923.

' (June Wow M M WM w 7 w 2 an 3 f a W 0v M z m E. H. HOI SON FILE DRIVING APPARATUS -May 15, 1923.

Filed Nov. 15, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Ark w eooowoneoaee (inventor H.

35 h @Moz'nm W @M W May 15, 1923. 1,454,927

E. H. HOPSON v FILE DRIVING APPARATUS Fil ed Nov. 15, 1919 Q 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented May 15, 1923.

U [TED sr EDWARD H. HoPsoN. or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AssreNoR To Mnanrrr & CHAPMAN DERRICK & WRECKING COMPANY, on NEW YORK, N. Y., A conroaArIoN or wns'r" VIRGINIA.

' FILE-DRIVING APIARATITS.

Application filed November 15, 1919. Serial No. 338,259.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDW RD I-I. HorsoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ofithe borough of Brooklyn, city of New York, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Pile-Driving Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to apparatus for driving piles and is particularly designed for use in driving piles which are to terminate below water level. Thegobject of my invention is to provide an apparatus of this sort which will be of improved construction section of Figure 3, s

and facilitate such pile driving.

'In this specification I have disclosed for purpose of illustration one form which my invention may assume. In the drawingsaccompanying this specification and showing'this illustrative embodiment:

Figure 1 represents a general view of my entire device,

Figure 2 represents a cross-section of the apparatus on theline 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 represents. a vertical detailed section taken along the line 3 3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 represents a front elevation of the section of the apparatus disclosed in Figures 2 and 3 viewed from a direction at right angles to the direction of view in the Figure 5 represents a top view of the able head removed, I

Figure 6 represents a side elevation of the structure dlsclosed in Figure 5,

Figure 7 represents a detail of the foot,

while Figure 8 lower.

'My invention comprehends the use of any suitable base such as the scow 21, any suitrepresents detail'of the folable pile driving derrick thereon such as lustrated in Figure 3. The column member ing in this way to guide the column. I premaybe constructed in anysuitable manner but is preferably provided with means providing -facilities "for .the reception of'raising and lowering cables 30, and this means may consist oi plates 31 suitably secured to the, head and provided with sheaves 32 about which the cables are looped. This headmay also be provided withsuitable' angular extensions 33 adapted to slide. along the hammer slides 3&- and thus guide theheadf .26 when it is raised and lowered. ,The use oft-he hammerslides 34 for this purpose is important inasmuch as it saves duplication of slides and appreciably lessens both. the

cost and Weightof the construction.

the column member in a suitable manner and this means maycomprise bolts 35 as il 27 may be constructed in any desired manner although I prefer to use a fabricated structure similar to, that disclosed inthe drawings and particularly shown in Fig ures a, 5, and6. This .columnmember may be provided with our longitudinally extending angles 36 the pairs of which form grooves or tracks 37 which'are designed to cooperate with suitable blocks 38 -projecting from the sides of thewell 25 and servfer to secure, to this column 27 near the bottom end. a foot 28 which preferably comprises ajfiat area 39 of suflicient size'to support the guide and at least, partially remove the weight thereof trom the scow This, foot may be braced tothe column in any desired manner such as by the upper braces 40 and the. lower braces 41.. vPreferably the foot is placed a short distance above the bottom of the columnso that the column willextend below the foot into the bottom for a sufficient distance as shown at 43 to thus prevent lateral motion of the lowerend of the column while the pile is being started.

The column27 may-be provided witha: 1

tube 42 preferably extending, whe'nthe guide is in lowered position. from a point above thesurfaoe of the water toa' point substantially as low as the upper surface of v the fully driven pile and of a I diameten suflicient to accommodate the pile therein.

This tube may be'supported from the column in any suitable mannen, In operation, the scow' 21 willbe moved to the desired position and the column then 110 I provide means for securing the'head to lowered until it engages the bottom as clearly shown in Figure 1. In this position the foot 28 will relieve the scow from the greater part of the weight of the guide while the column extension %3 will prevent the guide from shitting along the bottom. .l. liking this lowering motion the head 26 is continuously guided by the cooperation between the channel 37 and the blocks When the guide has been lowered into position I may detach the head 28 from the colinnn 9.7 so that the guide is connected to the scow only by the cooperation of the channels 37 and blocks 38. I

In extremely smooth water or operating with the guide lowered into almost extreme position it may not be necessary to thus disconnect the head 28 but under other conditions such disconnection almost necessary to prevent rupture from undue strains arising from the rocking; of the scow and all times such disconnection of the head 26 advisable. In order to further provide for considerable play between the guide and the scow I have so formed the blocks 38 that they fit very loosely in the channels 37. After the guide is in position one the head 26 has been removed (it its removal is desired), a pile is suitably lowered into the sleeve 42 and the pile driver tien operated.

During the driving operation the pile is guided and held in upright position by means of the sleeve i2. I

When the pile has been driven to the surface of the water, or if the length of the pile is less than the depth 01. the water. it becomes inexpedient to permit the hammer to strike the pile directly due to the excessive resistance of the water which must be traversed by the hammer bei ore engaging the pile. Accordingly. at this point in the driving operation a follower is introduced above the pile andthereatter the driving impact is transmitted to the pile by means of this follower.

This follower may be composed of an iron tube 50 completely filled with a wood core 51 which is preferably in one piece snugly fitting the tube 50 and bolted thereto at trequent intervals by suitable bolts 52. e

gagement with the upper end of the pile by the sleeve 42. I

By means at the follower the driving op- The lower end of the follower may be closed by tie-54,927

oration is continued until the head of the pile 18 at the elevation desired whereupon the follower 1s removed and the guide raised and moved into position for oriving the next pile. it prefer to employ the "follower itself to determine the height of the head of the pile and for this purpose marl; the surface of the follower with a series of indications 56. The follower is then used as a transit rod and the elevation of the head of the pile determined according to usual surveying practice. I

lit will be apparent from a consideration oi the description of this illustrative form of my invention that I have provided impro. means for driving piles and that this stream is particularly applicable and eilective in those driving operations where the pile must as located with precision and the head ot the fully driven pile must be at a definite level substantially below the surface of the water.

There are uses tor my pile driving apparatus and. advantages therein other than those which have seen specifically pointed driving hammer operatively mounted in said ways. a pile guide movable vertically in said ways and guiding; means connecting .said

pile guide and float. operative to permit a relative rocking movement between said pile guide and float while maintaining driving:-

relation between. the pile and hammer.

9.. lln pile driving apparatus, a float, a driving; hammer operative y mounted thereon. a pile guide connected to the float and movable vertically relative thereto. a follower moyable'ip said pile guide and guided thereby. guiding means connecting said pile guide. and floatto permit relative rocking movement wh le mairtainine' operative drivinexrelations and additional guiding: means arranged to guide the pi e guide during its vertical movement and arranged to be disconnected at will.

3. in. a pile driving" apparatus, hammer ways. a hannncr. a pile guide. means whereby said pile guide may slide on said ways, and means whereby said guide may be disconnected therefrom during driving operations.

in testimony whereof l have sile'ned my name to this specification this 13th day of November, 1919 EDWARD a. sensor. 

